Container for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine, the container for containing beverage or foodstuff material comprises a code encoding preparation information, in particular preparation information for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine to prepare a beverage or a foodstuff with beverage or foodstuff material contained in the container, the code comprising a reference portion and a data portion. The reference portion comprises at least one reference configuration defining a virtual reference line. The data portion comprises a virtual encoding line intersecting the virtual reference line at a virtual intersection point and a sequence of data units comprising at least two data units aligned at a distance from each other along the virtual encoding line for encoding a sequence of operations of the preparation information. Each data unit of the sequence of data units encodes an operation of the sequence of operations, wherein a relative position of each data unit in the sequence of data units encodes a nature of the encoded operation and wherein a distance between the data unit and the virtual intersection point and/or a distance between the data unit and another data unit of the sequence of data units or of another sequence of data units encodes a value of a condition for the performance of the encoded operation.

Imagery captured by an autonomous robot is analyzed to discern digital watermark patterns. In some embodiments, identical but geometrically-inconsistent digital watermark patterns are discerned in an image frame, to aid in distinguishing multiple depicted instances of a particular item. In other embodiments, actions of the robot are controlled or altered in accordance with image processing performed by the robot on a digital watermark pattern. The technology is particularly described in the context of retail stores in which the watermark patterns are encoded, e.g., on product packaging, shelving, and shelf labels. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

An intelligent seal with cloud computing-based anti-forgery capability and a method for using the same. In various embodiments, the seal is provided with a special-shaped anti-forgery mark. All data files and log files are stored collectively at a seal management cloud platform, thereby achieving anti-forgery through cloud computing at the cloud platform, preventing theft and tampering of user data and seal data, allowing real-time query of seal usage information, and enabling third-party verification and anti-forgery of the seal information.

Container for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine, the container for containing beverage or foodstuff material comprises a code encoding preparation information, in particular preparation information for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine to prepare a beverage or a foodstuff with beverage or foodstuff material contained in the container, the code comprising a reference portion and a data portion. The reference portion comprises at least one reference configuration defining a virtual reference line. The data portion comprises a virtual encoding line intersecting the virtual reference line at a virtual intersection point and a sequence of data units comprising at least two data units aligned at a distance from each other along the virtual encoding line for encoding a sequence of operations of the preparation information. Each data unit of the sequence of data units encodes an operation of the sequence of operations, wherein a relative position of each data unit in the sequence of data units encodes a nature of the encoded operation and wherein a distance between the data unit and the virtual intersection point and/or a distance between the data unit and another data unit of the sequence of data units or of another sequence of data units encodes a value of a condition for the performance of the encoded operation.

A method, an apparatus, and a terminal for recognizing a two-dimensional code are provided. The two-dimensional code includes an image region and an encoding region. The image region and the encoding region have no overlap. The method includes selecting, from pixels of the two-dimensional code, a pixel included in a code element in an encoding region. The method further includes determining a value of the code element in the encoding region according to the pixel included in the code element in the encoding region. The method further includes recognizing the two-dimensional code according to the value of the code element in the encoding region.

A system for transferring a data file includes a first data device (124) that is configured to: partition the data file (200) into a plurality of sub-units (202); generate a plurality of sequence bits (211) for each sub-unit that indicates a place in the data file (200) that the sub-unit belongs; for each sub-unit, integrate the sequence bits into the sub-unit; and convert each sub-unit into a different sub-unit QR code (221), thereby generating a plurality of sub-unit QR codes (221, 222 . . . 229); and transmit each of the sub-unit QR codes (221, 222 . . . 229). A second data device (130) is configured to: receive each of the sub-unit QR codes (221, 222 . . . 229); convert each of the sub-unit QR codes (221, 222 . . . 229) into corresponding reconstructed sub-units; and assemble the reconstructed sub-units nto a reconstructed data file (110′) in an order indicated by the sequence bits.

In one embodiment, a self-describing fiducial includes a communication element that optically communicates navigation-aiding information. The navigation-aiding information may include a position of the self-describing fiducial with respect to one or more coordinate systems and the communication element communicates the navigation-aiding information to one or more navigating objects in the vicinity of the self-describing fiducial.

A method for authenticating an article including engraving a circular feature into a verification substrate that includes a plurality of concentric rings within the circular feature arranged in a pattern according to a data encoding schema, wherein at least one of the plurality of rings includes a surface anomaly. The method can include capturing a first image of the circular feature and storing the first image in a memory device. The verification substrate can be attached to an article to traced and/or authenticated. A second image of the circular feature can be captured and compared with the first image to determine if the surface anomaly is present in the second image, thereby authenticating the article.

A generation method for a barcode is disclosed. The generation method for a barcode includes: obtaining a dotted line segment based on a barcode generated in a reference encoding mode and an intersection between the barcode and a straight line perpendicular to a black stripe in the barcode; and rotating the dotted line segment by 180 degrees by using either one of two endpoints of the dotted line segment as a center of a circle, to generate a semicircular barcode.

A position-measuring device and a corresponding method for measuring an absolute position includes a material measure having a first binary code and a second binary code and a sensor device that scans the first and second binary codes. The sensor device scans the first binary code, which has a first number of code words, each having the same code word length. The second binary code of the material measure forms a portion of the first binary code and has a second number of the code words that can be mapped onto the first binary code.